Libyan authorities say floods may have killed 20,000 people

Libyan authorities have demanded an investigation to see if the catastrophe that recently unfolded amid floods in the country killing thousands was caused by a human blunder.

Libyan officials on Thursday sought to dig deep into the reasons that led to the huge devastation, trying to see if the disaster could have been avoided.

Mohamed al-Menfi, president of the Libyan Presidential Council, said on X that the council had asked the attorney general to investigate the disaster.

“Those whose actions or failure to act were responsible for the failure of the dam should be held accountable, along with anyone who held up aid,” he said.

A torrent unleashed by a powerful Mediterranean storm Daniel burst dams on Sunday night in the port city of Derna, sending waves as high as 20 feet, washing multi-story buildings with sleeping residents inside.

Up to 20,000 people are feared dead. The figures have been confirmed by the Mayor of Derna, Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi who said deaths in the city could have reached 18,000-20,000, based on the extent of the damage.

Al-Ghaithi told Reuters he was afraid the city would now be infected with an epidemic, “due to the large number of bodies under the rubble and in the water”.

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the huge loss of life could have been avoided if Libya had a functioning weather agency in place.

“If there would have been a normally operating meteorological service, they could have issued warnings,” WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalashe said in Geneva.

Other commentators drew attention to warnings given in advance, including an academic paper last year by a hydrologist outlining the city’s vulnerability to floods and the urgent need to maintain the dams that protected it.

“The emergency management authorities would have been able to carry out evacuation of the people. And we could have avoided most of the human casualties,” Taalashe added.

The agency said that it had issued warnings 72 hours before the dams collapsed, including contacting the Libyan authorities and making statements to the media.